Lusaka businessman gets death penalty for killing wife, her lover

THE Lusaka High Court has sentenced to death a businessman who shot dead his wife and her alleged lover in Meanwood area last July. Peter Siwale on July 28, 2018 killed his wife Charity Namukobo, a teacher, and Andrew Chibeka, who he suspected was going out with her. It was heard that on the material day, police officers received a report of murder and that when they visited the crime scene, they found two bodies lying dead in a house in Lusaka’s Meanwood area.

It was further heard that Siwale was upset after he found Namukobo and Chibeka allegedly kissing in a motor vehicle. Siwale’s 10-year-old son told the court how his father ordered him to go and get a gun from the bedroom which he used to shoot his mother and Chibeka. However, in defence, Siwale said on the fateful day, he found his wife with Chibeka in the car and that it was not the first time. He said he suspected the two were in a sexual relationship.

Siwale said he trailed Charity and Chibeka for over two hours and found them kissing in a car. He said he saw his wife being fondled and that was how he bundled them in his vehicle and drove them to his house. Siwale said the three discussed the issue and his wife confessed having committed adultery with Chibeka. After that, his wife decided to leave home with Chibeka but he attempted to block them and they attacked him, so in self-defence he got his gun and shot them. But in her judgment, judge Catherine Lombe Phiri said the defence of provocation and self-defence had failed, adding that she found that there was no provocation as required by law.

“In fact, I find that the killing of the two deceased persons was calculated by the accused as he had sufficient time to borrow a vehicle and find a way of luring the two alleged lovers to his house where he knew he had a firearm that he would use to cold-bloodedly execute his plans,” she said.

Judge Phiri said she found that there was sufficient time for the cooling of passion.

“Having found that the defence of self-defence and of provocation have failed, I find that the accused had no legal justification to kill Charity Namukobo and Andrew Chibeka and convict him of the offence of murder,” she said.

In mitigation, Siwale asked for leniency, but judge Phiri imposed the mandatory death sentence.